Cheese Curds, 5/4: As Packers shuffle secondary, Pettine must get to work on pass rush

The Green Bay Packers, as they have done so often in recent years, loaded up the defensive secondary with some new faces in the NFL Draft. Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson certainly should give a boost to the team’s ability to cover opposing receivers, which should help new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine do his job.

After all, Pettine’s defenses have typically featured top-flight defensive backs; think back to his days with Darrelle Revis with the Jets or Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister with the Ravens.

What the Packers did not do in the draft was add multiple pieces to their pass rush, using a seventh-round pick on Kendall Donnerson as the only edge rusher in the class. That leaves the onus on Pettine to find a way to apply pressure next season with the players on the roster. Although the Packers’ pass rush wasn’t awful last year (9th in adjusted sack rate), it was the lack of timely sacks in critical situations that hurt the team.

The final curds of the week have items related to those topics, the rest of the Packers’ draft class, and much more.

Height, skill and hunger define Packers' trio of rookie receivers | Packers.com
I had one of those three qualities when I was in my early 20s. Seriously -- I had a huge appetite for a smaller guy.

NFC North draft grades: Bears advance slick offseason makeover - NFL.com
The Packers get an A-minus here, just a bit behind the Bears. However, Equanimeous St. Brown gets credit as the biggest "sleeper" draft pick in the division.

Why Jaire Alexander could be ‘special corner’ for Packers | Packersnews.com
This is an excellent look at Alexander, going all the way back to his days in high school when he had to run track to really understand how to run. Now, he’s one of the fastest players who was selected in the 2018 NFL Draft and he will be a critical piece of the Packers’ secondary in the coming years.

Mike Pettine will need all tricks to boost Green Bay Packers' rush - ESPN
Here's a brutal quote from a member of another NFL front office: "I just want to know how many years Green Bay is going to continue to burn high draft capital on the defensive backs before the defense becomes formidable against the pass... They play shitty defense. Give them credit for trying, at least."

Here's hoping that the lack of attention to the pass rush in the draft is something that Pettine can overcome with scheme and the talent that is on the roster.

Could move to safety revive Quinten Rollins’ career? | Packers Wire
Our Peter Bukowski suggested that the Packers might have some playing time in mind for Josh Jackson at safety. Rollins, on the other hand, may need to move there full-time to salvage his NFL career.

Eric Reid’s NFL collusion case, explained by a law professor - SBNation.com
The exact words from the professor are as follows: “If you’re asking me legally, collusion cases — to put it bluntly — they’re a bitch to prove.”